Abstract

Existing theory for stationary laser pulse propagation in absorbing media for times greater than the acoustic transit time is compared with experiments. Collimated and focused Gaussian beams as well as unstable resonator type beams are investigated. Good agreement is reached for all experimental conditions for collimated beams, and at higher energy deposition significant deviations are observed for focused beams.

© 1975 Optical Society of America

Transient thermal blooming of single and multiple short laser pulses

R. G. Buser, R. S. Rohde, P. J. Berger, F. G. Gebhardt, and D. C. Smith
Appl. Opt. 14(11) 2740-2746 (1975)

Transient thermal blooming of a slewed laser beam containing a region of stagnant absorber

Paul J. Berger, Peter B. Ulrich, Jeanne T. Ulrich, and Frederick G. Gebhardt
Appl. Opt. 16(2) 345-354 (1977)

Thermal Blooming of Laser Beams in Fluids

John N. Hayes
Appl. Opt. 11(2) 455-461 (1972)

Thermal Blooming of Pulsed Focused Gaussian Laser Beams

Alfred H. Aitken, John N. Hayes, and Peter B. Ulrich
Appl. Opt. 12(2) 193-197 (1973)

Compensating for thermal blooming of repetitively pulsed lasers

James Wallace and Joseph Pasciak
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 65(11) 1257-1260 (1975)